Last



Feb. 1l, 1936. J. B. WATERFIELD LAST Filed Aug. 29, 1933 mmw Byuam wwwATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 1I, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a last such as is used in the `shoe industry;and has for one. of its objects the provision of a last which will notsplit or splinter during itsy use, more particularly when 5 inserted ina heeling and leveling machine.

Another object of the inventionis the provision of a construction bywhich lasts of different sizes may be made substantially of the sameheight to avoid the necessity of adjusting the machine in which they areused'.

Another obj-ect of the invention is the provision of a reinforcing topfor the last, which may be effectively secured in position in a lessex-` pensive and simpler manner than reinforcements which haveheretofore been applied to the tops of shoe lasts.

Another object of the invention is the provi sion of a reinforcement forthe top of the shoe last which. may .be securely held in place and onewhich will not workloose and come olf due to shocks. or jars in the usesto which the last is subjected while in the process of work.

Another object of the invention is. the provision of a top reinforcementfor the shoe last which may be provided in diierent colors and `of sucha character that these colors will not be worn olf lor need replenishingduring the life of the last. Y

Another object of the invention is the provision of reinforcements whichmay be transferred from. one last and positioned .on another last,should the first last be no longer used.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be Vmore fully described, andparticularly pointed out inthe .appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig.. l is a Lperspecirive View of a hinge last. provided with kmyimproved metal top.

Fig. 2 is a. central sectional View thru the top portion of the last, apart of which is shown in this figure.

Fig. 3 is' a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig, 4 is a sectional View of the top member.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View .of the .bottom meim ber, 1

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the top member on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. l is a side elevation .illustrating the inem-` ber of the metal topas `being, provided with dif,

ferent colors. l

In the building of shoes, lasts are used about which the vsame areformed. These lasts are formed of wood as a most desirable material andv itis found in the use of this wood that when the A last with the shoethereof, is positioned in a heeling and. leveling machine and subjectedto considerable pressure during the application of the heels totheshoes, that the top of the last frequently cracks or splinters and after,severaly op- 5 erations` becomes` unfit for further use. Thissplintering creates a liability of the splinters entering the operatorshands and also damaging the lining of the shoe. .Reinforcements havebeen applied to the lasts` in the form .of metal and 10 leather. vThemetal reinforcements have an objection of being unyeldin'g and also thruthe shocks or jars to which they are subjected, the fasteners for thesemetal tops are loosened to such an extent that the metal will come offthe 15 last, while in the use of leather tops. several additional partsare necessary for strengthening the last in its use, and in order toovercome these difficulties I have provided a :metal top in two pieces,one of which is secured .to the last and 20 the other of which locks thesecuring means for this rst part in position, while by reason of the twometal parts providing metal to met-a1 surfaces I am enabled to secureIthese parts together so that they cannot be dislodged :one from theother 25 and in order that `some of the shocks which have been receivedby the 'metal may be absorbed and not transmitted to the wooden last, Ihave provided a cushioning means between these two metal parts for .thispurpose. Further in order 30 that this top may be provided with adistinguish.- ing color I have coated it with a metallic material whichlmay be dyed to provide a fixed and indelible color on the top by vwhichlasts of a certain size may be .distinguished as they are being 35worked in the factory, and the following is a more detailed descriptionof the present embodiment of this invention illustrating the preferredmeans by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:- 40

With reference to the drawing, l0 designates the toe part and ll the'heel part of my hinged last, which parts are hinged to swing onerelative to the other by a pivot pin entering the opening l2, as isusualin lasts of this character. The 45 bottom of the heel 43 is usuallyprovided with a metal plate and above this heel portion I provide themetal top designated generally Ill, as a reinforcement for this portionof the last, which is tapered to a smaller mass and 'is subjected to the50 pressure of the healing and leveling machine, in nailing the heeltothe shoe.

The-heel portion vof the last ll' is provided with a flat surface 15which is ina plane generally yparallel to. the. planeof the lowerVsurface of 55 the heel I3. Upon this flat surface I5 a base member orplate I6 is provided, the under surface of which is of a size and shapeto cover the surface I5 and this member is secured to the last by ascrew I'I at the heel end and the screws I8 at the forward end, whichextend thru suitable openings I9 and 2l] in the body plate and enter thewooden heel portion II of the last, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The base member I6 is provided with centering openingsY 2l andra topmember 22 is pro-Y vided with projections 23 which enter the openings 2|to maintain these plates in their desired assembled relation. The bodyplate I6 on its edge surfaces is tapered as at 24 to conform gen-Verally to the narrowing shape of the last as it is shaped to conform tothe shape ofthe foot, while the edge 25 is also inclosed to conform tothe cutaway portion 26 allowing for the swinging of the two parts I0 andII of the last with reference to each other( Thus the upper Ysurface2'I. of the base'member is smaller than the base surface and thissurface 2'I is of the same size or sub-- stantially the same as thebottom surface 28 of the top member, while the edges 29 and'30 of thetop plate continue the same inclined .direction as thatV of the basemember and provide a smaller top than bottom for this metalreinforcement and conform to the general shape of the last.

These members are locked together by a rivet pin 3&3 extending thru anopening 34 inthe base member andan opening 35 in the projections 23which register with this opening to receive the rivet pin 36 which isYheaded over at its ends to `secure the same in position and the membersin assembled relation. By the provision ofv one member being locked tothe other and covering the screws by which the base member or plate issecured to the last, these screwscannot be removed by jars which oftenwork such fastenings loose and thus the metal topxissecurely held inposition against accidental removal.`

These members are provided with openings 3| and V32 which registerVonewith the other and.

also registerwith a bore, 33 in the last for the receptionof a rod intheheeling machine for cor- 1 rectly-positioning the last in this machine.

s The upper, surface of the Vtop plate 3'I is arcuate or concaved so asto alsojassist in centering the last on lthe curved surface of theheeling machine and is found to be of great advantage in themanipulation of the last of this character.

In order that shocks may be absorbed to some extent` I have provided acushioning velement 38. positioned between the members I6 and 22,

which may be of rubber, pressed fiber, or any. other suitable materialto assist in absorbing the .which is being worked.

-The metal4 which I prefer; to use for this improved top will be of alight weight and I have found that:Nicral, an alloy containing a highpercentage ofaluminum and some chromium and nickel, is suitable `forthis.. purpose, and in `order For instance, width A may be theV TheVinvolves a colloidal phenomena. The Vcoating is Y.

sufficiently porous to absorb colors and maybe and where fast dyes areused these colors will not fade. The coating also has the property ofbeingV very hard and may be polished without removing the color and thusan indelible color is provided on' the last, which is ofparticular andspecial advantage in its connection with lasts.

I have shown in Fig. 'I the color orange at V4|), while I have shown thebase as dyed the color black at 4I thus providing a contrast for thedetermining of half sizes, or other various combinations as may beproduced. 1 i.

The foregoing description` is directed` solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reservetheprivilege` of resorting to allV the mechanical changes to which thedevice is susceptible, the inventionbeing dened andlimited only by theterms of the appended claims. l

I claim:

1. In a last, a metal top comprising two mem'-, bers, means extendingfrom the upper surface of one member,1through ,said member .to the last,

dyed with both organic and inorganic dyes and v thus various colors: maybe had upon its surface and means forsecuringthe other member on the tupper surface ofthe first member, said second.

member covering the securing means for the r'st member so asto lock thecovered securing'means in place. r Y* 2. In a last, a metal last, andmeans for securingV the other member top t comprising two' metalmembers, screws for "securing one member to the to the first member,.said second member covering said screws' so as to lock the `screws inplace.

3. Ina last, a metal top comprising two 4members, means for securing onemember tothe last, means forsecuring the othermember to the firstmember, said second member covering thesecurmember covering the securingmeans for the first member so as to lock the covered securing meansinplace.. V

5. In a last, a metal top comprising Vtwo mem-V bers, screws forsecuring one member tothe last, and rivets extending thru'portionsV ofsaid' merlibers for securing them together, said second member coveringsaid screws so screws in place.

6. In a last, a metal top Ycomprising two mem-f.

bers, meansy for securing onemember to .the last, means for securing theother member to the rst member, said second member covering the securingmeans for the iirst member so as to, lock the covered securing means inplace, and centering means to positively position the members withrelation to each other.

as to lock the` 7. In a last, a metal top comprising two members, meansfor securing one member to the last, means for securing the other memberto the first member, said second member covering the securing means forthe first member so as to lock the covered securing means in place, andregistering openings thru said members for the reception of the rod ofthe heeling machine.

8. In a last, a metal top comprising two members, means for securing onemember to the last, means for securing the other member to the rstmember, said second member covering the securing means for the firstmember so as to lock the covered securing means in place, and center ingmeans to positively position the members with relation to each other,said centering means comprising a projection on one member and a recessto receive it in the other member.

9. In a last, a metal top comprising two members, means for securing onemember to the last,

means for securing the other member to the rst member, said secondmember covering the securing means for the first member so as to lockthe covered securing means in place, centering means to positivelyposition the members with relation to each other, said centering meanscomprising a projection on one member and the other member having a.recess to receive it, and rivets extending thru said centering means tolock the members together.

10. In a last, a body portion formed of wood and having a fiat surfaceabove the heel and in a plane generally parallel to the lower surface ofthe heel, a metal top resting on said iat surface consisting of twoparts, one part in contiguous relation with said nat surface, means forsecuring said part to the iiat surface and the other part covering saidsecuring means, and means for attaching the said parts together.

JAMES B. WATERFIELD.

